No digital billboards would be allowed on U.S. 17 on Fleming Island between Kingsley Avenue and County Road 209.

If approved, digital billboards would be allowed in areas that already have non-digital ones. Currently there are 51 non-digital billboards in those areas. Blanding Boulevard, also known as Florida 21, has the most at 26. The proposal ordinance would allow digital billboards along the following roads.

■ Wells Road from Blanding Boulevard to U.S. 17.

■ Blanding Boulevard from the Clay-Duval County line to County Road 218, except for the section within the Brannan Field Master Plan.

■ Kingsley Avenue from Blanding Boulevard to Orange Park town limits.

■ U.S. 17 from County Road 315 to J.P. Hall Boulevard.

■ U.S. 301 from the Clay-Duval county line to the Clay-Bradford County line.

Clay residents oppose digital billboards

GREEN COVE SPRINGS | Candace Bridgewater and Marion Hilliard thought they won the battle against what they deemed billboard blight blemishing Clay County eight years ago.

Back then, the women were at the forefront of a grassroots effort resulting in the County Commission banning all types of new billboards. That ban also forbade replacement or repair of existing billboards.

“We thought we had won the war, but here it’s flared up again. The most disgusting part to me, is that real live people made the effort to ban billboards and now our county officials see fit to ignore the will of the people and want to allow digital billboards,” Bridgewater said.

On Tuesday, the county Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the proposed digital billboard ordinance, which the county acknowledges was written by outdoor advertising company lawyers. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the county Administration Building, 477 Houston St.

The panel will send its recommendation from the hearing to the County Commission for its Dec. 11 meeting, where commissioners may act on the issue.

“Why do the billboard companies and County Commission get to decide on what the rest of us don’t want? They need to ask the residents first,” Bridgewater said.

Bridgewater and Hilliard are trying to rally residents to oppose the billboard ordinance. Hilliard, chairwoman of the state Department of Transportation Highway Beautification Council, will represent about 200 fellow members of the Garden Club of Orange Park during the Planning Commission hearing.

“When I speak, 200 people are speaking with me. We don’t want our community over-run with billboards, ” said Hilliard, who also serves with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. “Once there’s a crack in the dam, they’ll all come flooding in and it’s hard to stop.”

In 2004, the County Commission banned new billboards. It said billboards attract the attention of motorists therefore “adversely affecting traffic safety and constituting a public nuisance.”

Since then, the commission’s membership has changed. On Oct. 23, the proposed digital billboard ordinance was introduced at the County Commission meeting. It states allowing digital billboards would further the commission’s goal of “creating incentives for reducing the overall number of existing billboards within the county.”

County Commissioner Ronnie Robinson voiced support for the digital billboards. He said the billboards would bolster the county’s economy by more effectively promoting local businesses. Robinson also said they look better than the existing non-digital billboards. Commissioner Wendell Davis said he favored them in principle. Commissioner Doug Conkey described himself as open-minded about the billboards. Conkey noted digital billboards have helped law enforcement via broadcasting Amber and Silver Alerts as well as other time-sensitive public safety messages.

As proposed, the ordinance only allows digital billboards in areas that already have existing non-digital ones. For each digital billboard put up, advertising companies must take down permanently up to three existing billboards, according to a swap-down ratio. Digital billboards with a sign area up to 675 square feet, and standing up to 50 feet tall would be allowed. All would have to meet setback requirements, have automatic dimming technology and must display the message for at least eight seconds.

“Digital billboards are intended to catch the eye They can be distracting to drivers and distracted drivers are dangerous. Just taking your eyes off the road for a second or two is dangerous, much less eight seconds,” said Bridgewater, equating them with texting while driving.

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America says crash data studies show no increase in accidents near digital billboards. In addition, industry studies in five areas nationwide showed that digital billboards were “safety neutral,” according to the association.

traincompbox, I laughed when I read your above comments. Having digital billboards in business sectors to help our local businesses is comparable to opening a strip club next to someones home?? Really? How could you type that with a straight face? Definitely made me LOL.

What is the problem with digital billboards? I have seen them in other cities like Savannah, and they are not obtrusive, ugly, or out of place at all. They help small businesses grow and get their name out there. In these hard economic times, we shouldn't stymieing business growth with rules and regulations. Maybe the people that are opposing this should put their efforts towards real issues, not ones that hurt business.

Applying your logic, I should feel free to:
buy up the property near your home and build a drive-in theatre and show pornographic movies, or;
opening my very own restaurant which uses nude servers, or;
open a church next to your home which is in direct conflict to your spiritual beliefs, or;
etcetera, etcetera.

The point is, the people who live in Clay county have voted to restrict billboards, the commission shouldn't be mucking about in that mudhole.

Other people of like thinking live in neighborhoods with with similar rules. I'm sure you're familiar with them...home owners associations.

I'm not positive about the exact process, but I believe if you want to change the laws, you've got to get it on a ballot. Meantime, howzabout ya'll grab yerself a lollipop & a glass of iced tea then sit back and fill up that piehole.

Let me get this straight - ultra-right wing Clay County residents think the government shouldn't try to find a way to ensure all citizens have affordable healthcare, but it should tell businessmen and landowners that they can't put billboards on their property. I don't get it.